Health and Welfare Plans

We have a large and proactive group of lawyers devoted to helping organizations address health and welfare plan design and operational issues. With respect to health care reform, our large number of health care organization clients and extensive Health Law practice (which focuses on the provider implications of health care reform), enables us to provide depth and insight into this law that other law firms can’t match.

We have a broad range of experience working with clients to ensure that health and welfare benefit plans comply with federal laws such as ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, PPACA, HIPAA, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, the Medicare Secondary Payer rules, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Our lawyers develop strategies to ensure that our clients’ health and welfare benefit plans comply with state laws and address the challenges presented when those laws do not dovetail with federal laws. For instance, we advise clients on health and welfare benefit plans that offer coverage for domestic partners. This includes both self-insured benefits governed by ERISA and insured benefits governed by state insurance laws, which, in certain states, require benefit coverage for registered domestic partners.

Our team works with clients to ensure that health and welfare benefit plans are designed to meet the employer’s business objectives and comply with all applicable federal and state laws. This includes:

Reviewing plan documents for general legal compliance.

Assessing and advising on employer responsibilities under federal laws and/or state laws, including ERISA fiduciary responsibilities.

Developing enrollment and disclosure documents, such as the notice of privacy practices, as well as plan procedures, such as qualified medical child support order procedures.

Drafting and/or reviewing summary plan descriptions and other employee communications that describe the employer’s health and welfare benefit plans and explain important issues related to federal and state laws (such as income tax requirements).